Surprisingly tasty Herring at the English National Opera

Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring is one of his least often performed operas: it is his only comedy and he was not renowned for having much of a sense of humour, but the new ENO production makes it enjoyable by not taking itself too seriously. The plot, with a clever libretto by Eric Crozier, concerns a pompous committee of civic dignitaries in a small market town meeting to elect a worthy girl to be the May Queen for their May Day festivities.

The girl chosen must have impeccable moral credentials and doubts are raised about every name suggested. In desperation, they choose a May King instead, a shy and timid fellow with a spotless reputation named Albert Herring. The prize, a purse of £25, encourages Albert at last to break away from his mother's bullying and spends a night of debauchery and freedom.

Britten's more successful operas such as Peter Grimes and Billy Budd are stirring dramas, usually set at sea, demanding powerful music depicting stormy scenes, but a comic opera needs something different. Rossini, Donizetti and even Gilbert and Sullivan incorporated brilliant patter songs into their works greatly adding to the humour of the stories.

Britten's strongest point was always his orchestration, and he conjures some fine sounds from the orchestra in Albert Herring, but he was not so good at producing original tunes, especially light and funny ones. The cast, however, including tenor Caspar Singh in the title role and soprano Emma Bell as Lady Billows, do not let this hamper their sense of fun and comic inventiveness.

Since the English National Opera split its productions between London and the North of England, this is the first time they have designed a show with venues in both. After two performances in London they move to the Lowry in Salford for two more and the transition is made easier by an unsophisticated, semi-staged design from director Antony McDonald.

With little more than walls on stage bearing signs identifying their locations as "Mrs Herring's Shop" or "Herring's Grocery" we see all we need to know, which also reflects the simplicity of the opera's tale.

I have always tended to believe that happiness occurs when experience exceeds expectations. When I went to see Albert Herring, I must admit that I expected an evening of rather dreary music from Benjamin Britten, but the lively commitment of the cast turned it into a very cheerful experience.

• Albert Herring will be performed at the Lowry Theatre, Salford, on October 21 and 22. Box Office and detailson 0161 876 2183 Lowry